I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. We did the family thing, packing the kids into the truck (eco-unfriendly, but with 4 wheel drive, a necessity to get up my in-laws’ driveway this time of year) and heading up to the Mat-Su Valley (north of Anchorage). It’s a 5 hour trek on often windy, mountainous, phenominally scenic roads. This year the weather was very cooperative, which is unusual.

So now we’re officially in the holiday season. The adult siblings on my husband’s side exchange names, so we don’t have to buy for everyone. (The kids are exempt and get tons of stuff from all the adults.) My husband, in-laws and parents keep asking me what I’d like for Christmas. I have nothing on my “ooh I’d REALLY love that” list, except to get published, of course. Somehow I doubt they or Santa can do that for me.

But on a more material note, I just can’t come up with much. Not that we’re so well off that I have everything one could possibly have. I’m just not good at thinking up things for myself.

My husband and I discussed getting cross country skis for the family. That’s still in the discussion phase. We purchased a nice digital camera up in Anchorage (because I broke the other one that was just a year or so old–oops!). He was drooling over a compound miter saw, so we got that. My girls gave us their lists and we selected one or two things for them. But me? Nothing has caught my fancy this year. I managed to come up with earrings, a specific movie, and bookstore gift certificates. I could use a new vacuum, but do I really want one as a Christmas gift? It may come down to that if I don’t come up with anything else.

Or maybe I won’t worry about it. Religious connotations aside, part of what the season is about, for me, is the magic of giving, of surprising people with things they didn’t realize they wanted or wouldn’t have considered for themselves. So if I’m on your list, surprise me. Make me laugh with delight at the whimsy of the season.

Even better, donate to your favorite charity and tell me why it’s important to you. THAT’S what the season is truly about.